cliff to deal with this fiscal cliff. how irresponsible is that? >> reporter: and as washington's still, the stock market burns. dropping for a sixth-straight day under this uncertainty. americans are burning up, too. >> this is america. they should be working for the american people. >> the parties are trying to outdo each other. >> can't believe we got this close. >> get in a room and don't come out of the room until you've got this thing taken care of. >> reporter: now, senate leaders say they hope to have a plan they can bring to the senate tomorrow. and by tomorrow night, the house is back in session. they could take up any plan that the senate passes. but no one here is holding their breath. >> no one is, indeed. >>> for more on the big white house meeting, we want to bring in john avlon, political columnist at "the daily beast." a busy man covering all of this. how do you see this playing out? >> we're three days out. the good news is, nothing focuses than the prospect of being hanged. people in washington realize